Accumulator for direct-acting engines



`(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

C. G'. WORTHINGTON. AUMULATORl POR DIRECT ACTING ENGINES.

510.455.935. Patented July 14.1891.

4 4Sheets--Shee 2,

` (No Model.)

o. C. WQRTHINGTON. Y AGUMULATOR PORv DIRECT ACTING ENGINES.

Patented `11115114; 1891.

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(No Mode1.)` 4 sheets-Sheet 3.

o. C. WORTHINGTON. AGGUMULATOR FOR DIRECT ACTING ENGINES.

No. 455,935., Patented July 14, 1891.

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AGGUMULATOR FOR DIRECT ACTING ENGINES. 110. 455,935. Patented .my 14,1891.

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CHARLES C. \VORTHINGTON,

i PATENT OEEICE.

OAF IRVINGTON, NEW YORK.

YACCUIVIULATOR FOR DIRECT-ACTING ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,935, dated July1,4, 1891. Application filed October 29, 1887. Serial No. 253,754. (Nomodel.)

' To all whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES C. 'WORTHING- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Irvington, county of Westchester, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and Auseful Improvements in Accumulatorsfor Direct-Acting Engines, fully described and represeutedin thefollowing specificationand the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe same.

This invention relates generally to that class of engines which areprovided with one or more compensating or auxiliary cylinders andpistons which are supplied with a suitable motor fluid, and are arrangedto act in Opposition to the main piston or pistons during the first partof the stroke of the engine, and in conjunction therewith during thelastY part of the stroke, thereby permitting the admission of the steamto the main cylinder or cylinders to be cut off before the stroke iscompleted without reducing the power of the engine at the end of thestroke. Forms in Letters Patent Nos. 292,525, 332,857, and

341,534, heretofore granted to me.

liquid interposed between the accumulatorv and the piston orpistons ofthe compensating cylinder or cylinders, means for preventing damage tothe engine in case the load should be suddenly reduced or entirely takenoff, and means for preventing damage tgth'e accumulator in case, throughleakageor otherwise, the plunger should descend violently tothe end ofits stroke.

'As a full understanding ot( thev various improvements constituting thepresent inventi'o'ri can only be given by a detaileddescrlpvtion of theorganization and operation of an engineembodying the same, all furtherpreliminary description will be omitted and a full description given,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-f Figure l isa side elevation of a compound duplex pumping-engine embodying thepresent invention, the parts being shown in the position they willoccupy when the pistons of the main steam-cylinders are at the ends oftheir strokes in opposite directions.` Fig. 2 is Ia sectional elevationtaken between the two engines forming the duplex engine. Fig. 3 is anend elevation of the engine, looking from lthe right of Figs. l and 2.Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the accu m ulator. Fig. 5is a view showinga continuation ol' the suction-main not shown in Figs.l and 2; and IFigs. 6 and 7 are views illustratingmodifications whichwill be hereinafter explained.

Fig. 8 illustrates an addition that maybe em- `fployed in connectionwith the construction illustrated in Figs. l to 5.

of such an engine are shown and described Referring to said figures, itis to be understood that as therein illustrated the steam end of theengine, or what may be termed the engine proper, consists of foursteam-cylinders A B and O D, which are arranged in pairs and operateupon the compound principle, the pair A B forming one side and pair O Dthe other side of the duplexengine. The pistons of the cylinders A B areconnected to the single piston-rod 25, and the pistons of the cylindersC D are connected to the single piston-rod 26 in the same manner. Thecylinders A B and O D are provided with the usual steam-chests a h and cd, having ordinary slide-valves, which are provided with balancingpistons suspend-ed from swinging rods hung in the trunks 75 in thewell-known manner. The two valves for each side of the engine areoperated by the same valve-rod, and these rods 23 24E are provided withthe usual connections, consisting of links 22, rockshafts 76, havingarms 2l 77 and links 78, by. which the valves of each side of the enginearel operated by the other side in the same manner as described in theLetters Patent No. v332,857,-

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pressure, and after acting in these cylinders is exhausted into acondenser or to the open air. The steam connections are the same asdescribed in the Letters Patent last referred The organization thusbriefly outlined is common, and will be readily understood by thosefamiliar with this class of engines.

The water end of the engine, or what may be termed the pump proper,consists of two water-cylinders E F, the plungers of which are connecteddirectly to the piston-rods 25 26. The water-cylinders are provided withthe usual suction and force chambers, the former communicating with thesuction-main 100 and the latter with the force-main 101. Theforce-mainis also provided with the usual air-chamber 102, placed in anyconvenient location to equalize the iiow of the liquid discharged fromthe pump. The piston-rods 25 26, instead of terminating at the plunge-rsof the water-cylinders, are extended and pass through the opposite endsof said cylinders and are connected to the piston-rods of two pairs ofoscillating cylinders 40 50, which are arranged at the ends of thewater-cylinders and are supported upon trunnions, the same as describedin Letters Patent No. 332,857. The connections between the piston-rods25 26 and the piston-rods of the oscillating cylinders and theconnections with the links 78 and also the connections through whichvthe motor fiuid passes into and out of the oscillating cylinders 40-50,are the same as described in said Letters Patent, and need not thereforebe herein particularly referred to. It is to be remarked, however, thatthe oscillating cylinders 40 50, instead of being located at the ends ofthe water-cylinders, may be located between the steam and watercylinders, as shown in the Letters Patent- No. 341,534, or they may belocated-at the outer end of the 'steam-cylinders, the piston-rods beingextended through the steam-cylinders, or, in fact, the compensatingcylinders may be located in any convenient position. 1t is also to beremarked that one compensating cylinder may be employed for each of themain piston-rods instead of two, and also that the piston or pistons ofthe compensating cylinder'or cylinders may be arranged to act on themain piston-rod in any of the ways shown in my Letters Patent beforereferred to, or in any other suitable Way. By the employment of thecompensating cylinders it becomes possible to cut off the admission ofsteam to the main cylinders before the end of the stroke Withoutinterfering with the proper operation of the engine, and each side ofthe engine is therefore provided with a cut-off mechanism 87, by whichthe steam is cut olf from the main steam-cylinders when their pistonshave arrived at the proper points in their strokes, after which thestroke is completed by the expansive force of the steam in thecylinders, aided by the power' exerted'by the pistons of thecompensating cylinders;

These cut-olf mechanisms are of the form shown in my prior LettersPatent Nos. 332,857 and 342,669, and need not therefore be hereindescribed in dtail. however, that any other form of cut-off mechanismmay be used, if preferred.

The motor fluid which acts upon the pistons of the compensatingcylinders may, as setforth in my Letters Patent before referred to, besteam, air,or other gas, or it may be a liquid; but it has been foundmost'desirable that the fluid which acts directly upon the pistons ofthe compensating cylinders should be a liquid which is in turn subjectedto the pressure of a gas, such as air. It has also been found that inorder to develop the desired amount of power in the compensatingcylinders without making them of an inconveniently large size, it isdesirable to employ an accumulator, which is interposed between thecompensating cylinders and the source from which the pressure of theirmotor fluid is derived. The pipe 37 therefore, through which themotorfluid passes to and from the compensating cylinders, communicateswith a pipe 79, which is in communication with the chamber or cylinder51 of an accumulator, which chamber, together with the pipes 79 37 andthe connections with the compensating cylinders, are filled` with Water,oil, or other liquid, which also fills the compensating cylinders behindtheir pistons. The upper end of thecylinder 51 is provided with anopening, through which passes the smaller end of a differential plunger52, the larger end 36 of which forms a piston, which Works in a cylinder53, which is located above the cylinder 51,and is provided at a pointabove the piston 36 with a pipe 54, Which communicates withtheair-chamber 102,

and through which air from the chamber 102 passes, so as to lill thecylinder 53 above the piston, and thus communicate its pressure to thepiston which forms the larger end of the plunger.

The accumulator, as thus far described, is substantially the same asshown in my prior Letters Patent No. 341,534. The air for operating uponthe plunger of the accumulator may of course be supplied from any othersuitable source, as set forth in my said prior Letters Patent.

The operation of the organization, as thus far described, will bereadily understood Without extended description. Assuming the engine tobe in operation and the normal pressure to exist in the force-main 101,the pressure existing in the main will, through the body of air Whichfills the chamber 102, pipe 54, and cylinder 53, be communicated to thelarger end of the plunger 52, and thence through the smaller end of theplunger and the liquid in the cylinder 5l and its connections to thecompensating cylinders, and thus 'impart a pressure to the pistons ofthe compensating cylinders, which will be to the pressure in the main asthe larger end of the plunger 52 is to its smaller end. As either sideof It is to be remarked,`

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the engine commences its stroke in either .direction,the liquid in thecompensating cylinders will be forced out of lthose cylinders andl backinto the cylinder 51, thereby raising the plunger 52 against thepressure in the main and offerin g a gradually-decreasing resistance tothe engine, and this will continue untilthe engine arrives at the middleof its stroke.

During the last half of the stroke the operation will be reversed. Theliquid will pass from the cylinder 51 back into the compensatingcylinders, thereby allow-ing the plunger 52 to descend, and thus thepressure in the main multiplied by the accumulator will offer agradually-increasing assistance to the engine during the last part ofthe stroke.

It sometimes happens, owing to a change in the character or amount ofthe work which the engine is to perform, that it is desirable to causethe compensating cylinders to develop a greater or less amount of powerwithout changing the relative sizes of the two ends of the plunger 52 orthe pressure at theisource from which the pressure upon the larger endofthe plunger is derived.' It is also frequently desirable to do thistemporarily to meet the requirements of the conditions under which theengine maybe operating at any. particular time, and to meet allconditions it is desirable-to provide means by which the power developedby the accumulator can be reduced belowwhat is due to the pressure inthe force- A main as well as raised above what is due to that pressure.To meet the first of these requirements, the pipe 54 is provided with abranch 20, which communicates with the cylinder 53, below the piston 36,and which has a cock or valve 19, which can be operated when desired, soas to allow more or less air to pass from the pipe 54 to the cylinder 53beneath the piston 36. By this means a backpressure can readily beestablishedbeneath the piston 36, which will oppose the direct pressureupon the opposite side of the piston, and thus decrease the powerdeveloped by the accumulator, and by this means and by properlymanipulating the cock or valve 19 the power developed by the accumulator can be reduced to any desired extent to meet any ternporaryorpermanentcondition underwhich the engine may be required to operate.An ordinary automat-ic pressure-regulator may be applied to the cockorvalve 19, so as to maintain a constant and unvaryin g back-pressureupon the piston 36. The pipe 20 will preferably be provided upon eachside of the valve 19 with a pressure-gage 1S, from which the relativepressures above and below the piston 3b can be read. Fig. 6 illustratesaslightly-modified form of apparatus for accomplishing the same result.In this casethe opposing pressure, instead of being applied directly tothe piston 36, is applied to one or more supplemental pistons 29,whichwork in small cylinders 31 at the sides of the cylinder 51, and areconnected to the-piston 36- by rods 32. In this case also theair-pressurejis not exerted directly upon the pistons 29, but iscommunicated to the pistons through a body of liquid contained in achamber 33, which communicates with the cylinders 31 and with the pipe20. In this case, also, the cock 19 is shownv as provided with anordinary pressure-regulator 34, which acts to control the cock andmaintain a uniform pressure in the chamber 33 and the cylinders 31. Theoperation of this form of the apparatus is the same as that firstdescribed. To meetthe opposite requirement-that is to say, to raise thepower developed by the accumulator to a point above that which would bedeveloped by the unaided pressure in the force-main-the cylinder 53 isprovided with means by which, when such an increase of power 'isrequired, a partial vacuum can-be created and maintained-in the cylinder53 beneath the piston 36. For this purpose the cylinder is provided Witha pipe 38, which communicates with the suction-main 100 at any suitablepoint, and this pipe is provided with acock or valve 17, by which it canbe opened or closed. By this means it is only necessary, when theconditions underwhich the engineis to operate require that the powerdeveloped by the accumulator should be increased, to open the valve 17.As soon as this is done the suction upon the main will create a partialvacuin the main 100 at the point of the connection of the pipe 38, andin order to vary -this within reasonably wide limits the pipe 38 maybeprovided (see Figs. 5 and 8) with a number of branches 16, communicatingwith the suction-main at different heights, and each provided with acock or valve 9, by which they can be controlled so as to effect theconnection between the pipe 3S and main at any desired height.

It sometimes happens that the level of the water from which the pumpdraws its supply is subject to wide variations, thus bringing thesuction-main under Vacuum at times and at other times under pressure,and thus varying the amount of work to be performed by the engine. Insuch case it may be desirable to also connect the pipe 38 with a chamberor enlargement 41 of the suction-main (see Fig.

8) that will answer as both a vacuum-chamber and an air-chamber. Whenthe level of the water-supply is below the pump-valves, this chamber 41will be under partial vacuum and thepower of the accumulator becorrespondingly Lincreased. When, however, the water Y rises above thepump-valve or above the accumulator this chamber 41 will be under suchpressure as is due to the height of the Water above it, and this willcommunicate a corresponding back-pressure to the piston 36 of IOO IIO

the accumulator and reduce the power of the accumulator accordingly.VWhen under pressure the chamber 41 should be supplied with air, and thismay be done either by connectingthe chamber with the pipe 2O or 54, sothat air can be admitted from that source, or by any other suitable andconvenient means.

In order to prevent the-leakage of air past the piston 36, it isdesirable to provide a waterpacking 35 above said piston, and as it isfurther desirable that the 'body of water thus carried above the pistonshould not be unnecessar'ily great, it is important to provide means bywhich any surplus of water can readily be drawn off. For this purposethe piston is provided with a tube 42, which passes through astuffing-box in the top of the cylinder, and is provided at the properheight above the piston 36 with an opening 2, and at its upper end witha cock or valve 15.' By this means whenever the body of water 35 risesabove the opening 2 it is only necessary, in order to withdraw suchsurplus water, to open the cock 15. The pressure of air above the waterwill then at once force the water upward through the tube 42, and thiswill continue until the surface of the water is below the opening 2 Theproper amount of liquid in the cylinder 51, pipe 79, and connections ismaintained in any suitable manner-as, for example, by a small pumpoperated by the engine to force in a small amount of liquid tocompensate for leakage.

In order to prevent an undue amount of liquid from being forced into thecylinder 51 and its connections, which would raise theaccumulator-plunger to an improper height, the lower end of the plungeris made hollow and is provided at a suitable height with a series ofopenings 3. So long as the liquid in the cylinder 51 and its connectionsis not increased beyond about the proper volume, the plunger 52 willremain in such position that when itis raised by the forcing of theliquid backward into the cylinder 51 by the action of the compensatingpistons its openings 3 will not be raised above the stuffing-box in theupper end of lthe cylinder. If, however, for any reason an undue volumeof liquid is forced into the cylinder 51 and its connections, theplunger 52 will be raised to such an extent that as it completes itsupstroke its openings 3 will be carried above the stuling-` box'in theupper end of the cylinder 51, so as to communicate with the cylinder 53.As soon as this takes place the liquid from the cylinder 51 will passthrough the openings 3 and be discharged into the cylinder 53, thusremoving the surplus liquid from the cylinder 51' and keeping theplunger 52 in its normal position. The liquid thus forced out willescape through the pipe 38 into the suctionmain, or may be drawn off ,inany suitable manner. In operating engines of this class it is desirableVto provide means by which in case the load should suddenly be reducedor entirely taken off the engine, as by the breaking of the force-main,the engine will be prevented from running at a violent speed. For thispurpose the connections between the accumulator-cylinder and thecompensatingcylinders are so arranged that the liquid is not permittedto flow from the cylinder 51 to the compensating cylinders at a greaterrate of speed than is required when the engine is operating at itsnormal speed. This may be effected in a variety of ways, two of whichare illustrated in the present case. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, thepipe 79 is provided with a check-valve 14, which is `arranged topermitthe liquid to pass freely from the compensatingcylinders to thecylinder 51; but, to y prevent its passing in the opposite'direction,the pipe 7 9 is also provided with a branch orbypass 27 which passesaround the valve 14, and is provided with a cock or valve 13, which canbe adjusted so as to allow the liquid to pass freely in eitherdirection, but only at such a velocity as to supply the compensatingcylinders when the engine is operating at its normal speed. By thismeans the fullpower of the accumulator is exerted upon the pistons ofthe compensating cylinders solong as the engine does not move above itsnormal and proper speed; but if for any reason the speed of the engineis suddenly accelerated the pressure upon the compensating cylinders isat once greatly reduced or entirely removed, because of the inability ofthe liquid to ilow fast enough through the valve 13, while the waterpasses freely back from the compensating cylinders to the accumulatorthrough the check-valve as the engine is reversed. In Fig. 7 a modifiedarrangement of apparatus for accomplishing the same result isillustrated. In this case the by-pass 27 is omitted and the valve 14 ismade to serve the double function of a by-pass and check-valve. Thisvalve is arranged to permit the liquid to pass freely from thecompensating cylinders to the cylinder 51, but tends to close and shutoff the communication when the flow of the liquid is in the otherdirection. The amount of liquid that is permitted to pass inthisdirection may bev governed by means of the adjusting-spindle 8, thatbears against the under side of the valve 14 and holds it off its seat,so thatl the liquid can pass through it. The valve may be provided witha spring 7, which operates to normally hold the valve against thespindle 8, but will yield to allow the liquid to flow freely into thecylinder 51.' This controls the speed of the engine precisely asdescribed in the case of the arrangement shown in Fig. 4.

In case of the breaking of the pipe 79 or any of the connections withthe compensating cylinders, or of the blowing out of thecylinder-packing` so as to suddenly remove the fluid from beneath theaccumulator-plunger, the plunger would immediately fall and strike thebottom with great force and would IOC a proper manner, and provided withan opening 12, somewhat larger than the plunger 52. Justbelow therpiston36 the plunger 52 is provided with an enlargement forming a plunger 10,whichis of j ustsufficient size to iill the opening 12. So long as theaccumulator is operating properly the plunger llO remains above thediaphragm 28 and the spaces above and below the diaphragm 28 are in freecommunication; but if for any reason the plunger 52 should be suddenlylowered the plunger 10 will enter the opening 12, and thereby confine abody of air in the chamber 44, formed between the diaphragm 28 and thepiston 36, which air will act as a cushion to prevent the plunger fromcoming into contact with any metal or from striking violently, so as tocause damage.

What I claim isl. The combination, with an engine audits main-andcompensating cylinders and their pistons, of an accumulator-cylinderthrough which pressure is transmitted to the compensating cylinder orcylinders, connections with a source of pressure, whereby theaccumulator derives its power from pressure exerted on one side of itspiston, connections with a source of adjustable pressure, whereby`adjustable pressure may be exerted upon the other side of said piston,and means'for adj usting said adjustable pressure to regulate the amountof power developed by said accumulator, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with an engine and its main and compensatingcylinders and their pistons, of an accumulator-cylinder through whichpressure is transmitted to the compensating cylinder or cylinders,connections with a source of pressure, whereby the accumulator derivesits power from pressure exerted on one side of its piston, connectionswith an elastic fluid-pressure supply, whereby pressure -may be exertedupon the other sideof said piston, and means for adjusting said elasticHuid-pressure to regulate the amount of power developed by saidaccumulator, substantially as described.

3. The combinatiomwith an engine and its main and compensating cylindersand their pistons, of the accumulator-cylinder 53 and piston 256, thepipe 54, forming a connection between a source of pressure and one sideof the accumulator-piston, the pipe 20, forming a communication betweenan elastic fluidpressure supply and the opposite side of said piston,and the cock or valve 19 for controlling the pipe 20, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, with an accumulator deriving its power from pressureexerted on one side of a piston, of connectipns with an elasticHuid-pressure supply, whereby pressure may be exerted on the other sideof said piston, and means'for adjusting said elastic fluid-pressu re toregulate the amount of power developed by said accumulator,substantially as described.

5. The combination, with an accumulator deriving its power from pressureexerted on one-side ot` a piston, ot a source of pressureA independentofthe source from. which the power is derived, and connections wherebypressure may be exerted upon the other side of said piston, andmeans foradjusting 4the latter pressure to regulate the amount of power developedbysaid accumulator, substantially as described.

6. The combinationrwith a pumping-engine and its main andh compensatingcylinders and their pistons, of the accumulator cylinder and piston,connections for applying the working pressure to the accumulatorpiston,"and connections with the suctionmain for allowing the suction-pressureto be applied to said piston in conjunction with the working pressure,substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a pumping-engine and its main and compensatingcylinders and their pistons, of the accumulator cylinder and piston,connections for applying the working pressure to the accumulator piston,a pipe connecting with the suctionmain for allowing the suction-pressureto be applied to said piston in conjunction with the working pressure,and a valve apparatus for controlling the suction -pressure so applied,substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a pumping-engine and its main and compensatingcylin.

vders and their pistons, ot an accumulator -having a power piston onesideof which is acted upon by pressure from the force-main of saidengine and the other side by pressure from the suction-main ot saidengine,

substantially as described.

9. The combination,.with the accumulator and connections for applyingthedirect or working pressure thereto, of the pipe 38 for allowing thesuction-pressure inthe forcemain to be applied to the accumulator inconjunction with the direct pressure, said pipe being provided withbranches connected to the suction-main at different points,substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the accumulator and the connections forapplying the direct or working vpressure thereto, of the pipe 3S,communicating' with the accumulator and with a chamber connected to thesuctionmain, substantially as described.

1l. The combination, with the accumulator cylinder and piston, of thepipe 42, passing IIO IZO

through the cylinder-head and provided with the opening 2 and cock l5,substantially as described. Y

12. The combination, with 'an engine and its main and compensatingcylinders and their pistons, of connections for supplying themo- ISO toriluid to the compensating cylinder or cylinders, and controlling deviceson said connections retarding the flow of the motorluid to said cylinderor cylinders, but permitting the iiuid to flow freely from said cylinderor cylinders, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with an engine and its main and compensatingcylinders and their pistons, of connections for supplying the motor iuidto said compensating cylinder or cylinders, and a check-Valvecontrolling said connections and arranged to retard the flow of the lnidto said cylinder or cylinders, but to permit tle Huid to How freely fromsaid cylinder or cylinders, substantially as de'- 15 scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses. A

CHARLES WORTHINGTON.

Witnesses: p

DANIEL I-I. JOHNSON, B. W. PIERsoN.

